The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Vietnam have signed agreements for two loans and a non-refundable grant worth nearly 166 million USD to improve urban environment and climate resilient infrastructure in three local cities.

The funding is expected to help increase the use of community health care services and their quality in five Central Highlands provinces, and enhance access to livelihood and income opportunities for the poor in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) corridor town.

At the November 8 signing ceremony, Country Director for Vietnam Tomoyuki Kimura said, “The projects will help the Vietnamese Government to address consequences of rapid urbanisation, improve disaster response, climate resilience and environmental quality in urban areas, and also increase access to health services”.

The first 95 million USD loan from the Asian Development Fund (ADF) of the bank will help Buon Ma Thuot, Ha Tinh, and Tam Ky improve their solid waste management, upgrade urban roads, complete flood dikes and regulate basins for flood protection.

The second 70 million USD ADF loan is for a health care project in the Central Highlands provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, and Lam Dong.

It will help the beneficiaries further reduce maternal and child mortality by addressing access to commune medical stations and hospitals and by strengthening provincial health management.

The grant agreement, funded by the Government of Japan, will provide 833,000 USD assistance on a grant basis under the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction.

The project will help transform the GMS transport corridors into full-fledged economic corridors by enhancing access to livelihood and income opportunities through the creation of trade and financing conduits for poor informal traders, mostly women, as well as training and programme management for town and city officers.-VNA